Operation Axis Laser. Low Budget Savage Axis Accurizing Project.

[arakboss]

I am starting this thread to keep track of progress on my Savage Axis 1 Accurizing Project. The rifle is currently stock and chambered in 223. I will leave it that way except for a trigger job while developing loads that it likes. The trigger is natrocious and that needs some level of improvement before spending a bunch of time on working up loads.

Once I find some loads that it likes at 100 yards, I will start messing around with other parts of the rifle. I will limit this rifle to a 300 yard gun for this project.

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[oremike]

No accu-trigger on you Axis? Reason I ask is my axis 2 has one and I thought the only difference between the 2 was the pillar bedding in the axis 2 stock. I might have an extra accu-trigger tool if you need one.

 

[Xaevian]

No accu-trigger on you Axis? Reason I ask is my axis 2 has one and I thought the only difference between the 2 was the pillar bedding in the axis 2 stock. I might have an extra accu-trigger tool if you need one.

No accutrigger on the edge/axis original. All other things are the same.

 

[arakboss]

No accutrigger on the edge/axis original. All other things are the same.

Correct mine does not have the accutrigger. It gets even more complicated with some of the early Axis (Edge model) rifles having no threaded hole for adding overtravel screw.

I will have to take mine out of the action to determine if I can use a kit like this.

SAVAGE AXIS TRIGGER UPGRADE KIT SPRING OVERTRAVEL SCREW TRIGGER SHIMS WRENCHES | eBay

(Average results can vary up to +/- 1lb). Trigger shims help remove the side to side wobble in the trigger housing, greatly improving consistency and provide a cleaner break. Fits Savage Axis with Standard Trigger only Does not fit Savage AXIS Rifles with AccuTrigger.

www.ebay.com

 

[quneur]

Correct mine does not have the accutrigger. It gets even more complicated with some of the early Axis (Edge model) rifles having no threaded hole for adding overtravel screw.

I will have to take mine out of the action to determine if I can use a kit like this.

SAVAGE AXIS TRIGGER UPGRADE KIT SPRING OVERTRAVEL SCREW TRIGGER SHIMS WRENCHES | eBay

(Average results can vary up to +/- 1lb). Trigger shims help remove the side to side wobble in the trigger housing, greatly improving consistency and provide a cleaner break. Fits Savage Axis with Standard Trigger only Does not fit Savage AXIS Rifles with AccuTrigger.

www.ebay.com

View attachment 1903279

I have the exact same one. It doesn't feel any differently than stock.

Here are some options. I haven't bought any yet (haven't fired the rifle since I bought it about 4 years ago.)

Savage AXIS Accessories - Savage AXIS Trigger Upgrade

Savage AXIS Accessories to improve the trigger pull on your Savage AXIS Rifle! American Made and designed to reduce your trigger pull similar to the Savage AXIS Accutrigger. Custom Savage AXIS Trigger Job to improve Savage AXIS Accuracy.

www.mcarbo.com

 

[arakboss]

I have the exact same one. It doesn't feel any differently than stock.

The same trigger kit?

 

[arakboss]

Before I fork over hard earned cash for fancy trigger spring kits, I am going to try cutting a coil or two off of the factory spring or buy a replacement spring from Ace.

 

[P7M13]

Have you shot it yet?
At all?

 

[arakboss]

Have you shot it yet?
At all?

Maybe a couple of hundred rounds, all factory stuff. It's been a 2 MOA rifle at best but I mostly shot it at the 200 yard range and I don't have enough optic for that. It should be broken in by now.

 

[P7M13]

At least you shot it.
Betcha a beer, accurizing won't do squat. The Axis I series sucked. You're putting tinsel on a sow's ear.

 

[arakboss]

At least you shot it.
Betcha a beer, according won't do squat. The Axis I series sucked. You're putting tinsel on a sow's ear.

Maybe. I sold my unfired 12fv in 223 to my Boss and took him to the 200/300 range at TCGC numerous times as my guest. He bought fancy Federal match grade ammo and a huge scope for it. He was shooting tiny groups with it. I brought my Savage Axis with Remington 55gr grain ammo and 3x9 scope and could barely keep them on a pie plate. I still have a 12fvin 308 and I hope it shoots as well as the 223 did.

 

[P7M13]

still have a 12fvin 308 and I hope it shoots as well as the 223 did.

And that gun, I'll bet it does.

 

[arakboss]

I dug the rifle out of the safe. Next range trip I will take it out and run 5 five shot groups, each, of the following.

Factory Remington 55gr fmj

Somebody else's reloads I bought, two different recipes:









I will also try some of my AR15 reloads but I am not confident that the Savage will be able to set off the #41 primers.





If you are wondering why the love for the Remington 223 ammo. Dick's ran some crazy clearance deal on the 50 packs a number of years ago, so I cleaned out a couple of different stores.

 

[arakboss]

Just snagged 1000 of these Hornaday 75 grainers to try in the laser project. $105 total, shipped.

223 75gr HPBT w/ Cannelure PULLED - 500ct - American Reloading

Minimal marks from Pull Down

americanreloading.com

 

[quneur]

The same trigger kit?

Yeah, the same one on Ebay. At the time the only seller offering the kit. There was one other manufacturer that selling a pretty expensive kit way more I was willing to spend.

 

[arakboss]

Yeah, the same one on Ebay. At the time the only seller offering the kit. There was one other manufacturer that selling a pretty expensive kit way more I was willing to spend.

I will try some homemade fixes, if that doesn't pan out, I'll give the MCarbo stuff a try. Thanks for the heads up on ebay kits.

 

[quneur]

Not saying the ebay one doesn't work but I didn't feel much of a difference. The OEM spring was usable but the ebay spring took it to 4-5 lbs.

 

[arakboss]

I found a box of springs in my tool box. I saw some promising ones in there. I decided to set a baseline accuracy before fussing with it. I should be able to get the baseline testing done this coming week, then it's trigger job time.

 

[arakboss]

I have 50 cases prepped and ready for powder and bullets. My plan for first powder is to use TAC with 55gr and 62gr bullets. For the 55gr bullets, I will do 22, 22.5, 23, 23.5 and 24 grain loads. Still deciding on charge size for 62gr bullets. If any of these loads give me good groups, I can revisit the loads with tighter increments.

 

[arakboss]

I am revising the goal for this rifle. Instead of trying to get it to shoot tiny little groups, I going to test the durability and accuracy under hard and abbynormal use & abuse. I expect to prematurely wear out the barrel but the great thing about Savage rifles is the relative ease of barrel replacement. First step is modifying that terrible trigger. I have some bubba-ing to do today.

First test will be 100rnds in an hour. Hopefully the stock doesn't melt.